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Little Fires Everywhere.

Ng, Celeste (author).

Shaker Heights, Ohio, is a by-the-books kind of town. Longtime residents know the well-established rules of conduct. Newcomers, such as itinerant artist Mia Warren and her teenage daughter, Pearl, must find out for themselves what is acceptable and what is not. Renting an apartment from city-native Elena Richardson should give Mia and Pearl a leg up. Instead, it throws them into the midst of a fraught custody battle concerning a Chinese American baby; engenders fierce rivalries between brothers Moody and Trip Richardson for Pearl’s attention; and casts Mia as the unlikely confidant of the Richardson daughters, popular Lexie and outcast Izzy. There are secrets upon secrets within the families: Mia’s past is hidden from Pearl, just as Pearl conceals her love affair with Trip. Lexie’s abortion must be kept from her family, while only Izzy knows the subterfuge her mother is using to undermine Mia and Pearl’s happiness. Ng’s stunning second novel is a multilayered examination of how identities are forged and maintained, how families are formed and friendships tested, and how the notion of motherhood is far more fluid than bloodlines would suggest. Ng’s debut, Everything I Never Told You (2015), was a book-group staple. Laden with themes of loyalty and betrayal, honesty and trust, her latest tour de force should prove no less popular. Carol Haggas

This title has been recommended for young adult readers:

YA/General Interest: Five strong teen protagonists will guide YAs through the emotional minefields of young love and budding idealism. —Carol Haggas